TASOGARE
by NioteTonie
Summary: 1x2 AU fanfiction with background 3x4. A story of ruined lives, secrets, conspiracies, death...and the discovery of love in the midst of it all...Yours truly would appreciate lots of reviews as motivation to continuing this story.


TASOGARE

By: Niote (tonietrthotmail.com)

**Disclaimer: **The characters of Gundam Wing do NOT belong in any way or form to Niote. The story that follows is purely for purposes of

entertainment and fandom of GW, a fanfiction for any interested reader's reading pleasure.

**Note: **Comments/ reviews are welcomed and encouraged by the author. You can contact Niote at tonietrthotmail.com. Compliments and

criticisms are appreciated and viewed as a means to further improve any and all aspects of the story herein. Please be warned that the

          setting (countries, places, etc.) are purely fictional, as are some minor characters. Tasogare is a 1 X 2 centered AU fanfiction with an

on-going 3 X 4 pairing, wherein GW characters have been painstakingly retained "in character". Anyone who disfavors male/male relationships, Shounen-ai/Yaoi and major Relena bashing is advised to NOT proceed with the reading of this story.

(Pretora City – the Sanq Continent)

_Pretora lay silent and blinking. A small, inconsequential city of lights that looked as if death had passed over it, a blanket of darkness dimming what would have been a lovely sight to behold, the streets littered with balls of crumpled paper that rolled and moved at the slightest gust of wind. A streetlight flickered on and off, unattended and unchanged._

_A footstep here and there could be heard, but the sound remained faint and soft to the senses. A sweeping glance at the whole scene would bring anyone into a depressive state. But then, Pretora is well known for that. A city of silence… A city of secrets best kept as secrets._

_A few blocks down Tolstoy Avenue, around the corner of Elms Street, inside a dark damp alley that reeked of musty clothing and spoiled food, something stood bent over a huge broken down trash bin, it's shadow moving tiredly as it scavenged into the offensive black hole of stinking garbage and god-knows-what._

_A triumphant chuckle pierced the silence as the owner of the shadow stepped back with some loot in tow. In the dimness, a pair of lovely violet eyes blinked and crinkled merrily._

_" Whoa! Lookie here!!! Three days worth of food I'd say!", the scavenger crowed with glee._

_"Are you sure?", a whisper echoed from the farthest corner and from the shadows, a small slight figure stepped out._

_"Positive Dren! Guess this'll keep us occupied for a few days.", was the murmured reply.  _

_A bony hand reached and tugged at one tattered dirty sleeve that had seen better days, " Duo? What about after?"_

_ Pools of violet closed for an instant before opening again with a forced twinkle, " Let me worry about that hmm?", and with that, Duo – the older of the two handed over the scraps of leftover food into clutching hands._

_In the darkness, no one would've been able to distinguish the sight of the small boy chewing at the ruined food with a smile. No one would've seen the violet-eyed scavenger grimace and scowl making his cheekbones standout. _

_" Duo?", came a soft whimper yet again._

_Duo sighed and settled his gaze on his now teary-eyed companion, "what is it Dren?"_

_" Are mom and dad coming back?"_

_Duo let out a shaky sigh. Even now, the thought of their parents – Helen and Eric Maxwell – shook him to the core._

_" No Dren. They're not."_

_"What about Solo?"_

_"He's gone too."_

_"Oh."_

_Eyeing his younger brother's bent head, Duo shrugged and ruffled Dren's messy chestnut hair, " Don't worry little guy…I'm gonna watch out for you. Promise."_

_The head shot up and a pair of hazel eyes stared at him doubtfully, "But Duo! You're only ten years old!"_

_The older of the two rolled his eyes, " Right. And you happen to be eight so that makes me your bodyguard! Okay?"_

_"…."_

_"Okay?"_

_A few minutes of silence breezed by before the word rolled out of the child's mouth._

_"Okay…"_

_----------         O       ----------_

_(Two months later)_

_"RUN DREN!!!! RUN!!! NOW!!!!", Duo panted as he eyed their pursuers with a look of terror._

_His younger brother dressed in rags, ran as fast as his shorter thinner legs would allow, looking worriedly at Dou running behind him. As the two made their escape, Duo's eyes alighted on an alley wall that – if his calculations were correct – they could jump over with little difficulty to lose their pursuers._

_"Dren over the wall! NOW!"_

_No questions asked, Dren clambered over boxes of nearly rotten wood and grabbed tightly onto the edge of the wall._

_"I can't jump…", he muttered desperately._

_As quickly as he could manage, Duo grabbed him by the waist and threw him over the wall. A thud, then a gurgling sound came from the other side and Duo silently prayed for Dren to be okay._

"Where the fuck are they? Fools! We need to finish this job or Peacecraft will have our heads!" roared what seemed to be the leader of the group chasing them. 

_Hesitation far from his mind, Duo jumped to catch the edge of the wall and threw himself over to landing shakily on the littered alley, "Dren are you…", his worried murmur faded as violet eyes took in the sight before him in horrified shock._

_" Thought you could get a way you piece of shit?", cackled the maddened looking man who gripped Dren._

_DREN! _

Duo's mind went blank as his gaze fell on his younger brother's ashen face. Hazel eyes so like their mother's stared emptily at the ground and blood trickled from the side of his head. The lifeless visage held the boy's attention even as the rest of their unkempt assailants turned the corner to smirk at the sight of him.

_" One down and one more to go fellas!", jeered the man who held Dren's lifeless figure._

_"We'll take our time with ya boy… skin ya alive, fuck the livin' daylights outta….", the jeering voice was abruptly cut off with a gurgle and the man stared ahead in shock all the while faintly trying to grab at the half-broken bottle protruding from his now bloody throat._

_Duo watched as the figure spat several pints of blood, his violet eyes glowing as he watched the slow painful death._

_The others watched in quiet fascination, as their comrade died at the hands of the delicate ten year old boy._

_" You piece of shit!!!"_

_Violet eyes shifted and gazed ahead. They froze. Those eyes spoke volumes._

_They spoke of DEATH._

Chapter 1 

_(8 Years later – The Capital: Xaniger City, Oz Continent)_

" It's final. You will have a bodyguard whether you like it or not."

"Hn."

Odin Lowe rolled his eyes before awarding his stone-faced charge an annoyed glare, "Don't 'Hn' me Yuy! This is for your own damn good."

Prussian blue eyes met his stare and the young man murmured, "No. I do not need one."

Sighing in exasperation, Odin stroked his beard with a hand and muttered to himself about stubborn charges.

" Look Yuy…you may not like having people at your tail 24-7 but it can't be helped. Your mansion _accidentally _caught fire three months ago, your precious Mercedes _blew up_ approximately two weeks after that, security was _breeched_, your food was _poisoned_, your last conference _bombed_… IT IS NOT SAFE!"

Silence ensued.

"Hn."

Odin Lowe sighed for what was perhaps the thousandth time and resisted the urge to bang his head on his broad redwood study table. Already he was regretting ever accepting the role of guardian to this cold, empty-faced young man. Heero Yuy, for all his wealth and social standing, was notorious for being anti-social and that attitude proved trying to Odin Lowe's patience and sanity.

Stepping quietly out of the elegant study, Heero Yuy walked through the carpeted hallway glaring at nothing in particular. A maid vacuuming in the hall paled at the sight of the clearly angry young man and strove to be inconspicuous as possible. Much to her relief, the young master coldly ignored her presence and instead stepped out into the driveway to his waiting limousine.

Seated comfortably in the luxurious backseat of his car, Heero scowled as his thoughts returned to his guardian's announcement. A growl escaped from his throat and he clenched his fists. 

Ever since his parents died, he had never wanted for anything. He was smart, he had money, influence…everything except for one small detail.

Heero Yuy wanted peace.

No, no…Heero Yuy wanted to be left ALONE.

He hated the attention that came with being a twenty-year old millionaire. He hated the parties and the gossip. He hated people. Period. So why couldn't anyone understand that?

Sighing, he reached into the mini-fridge and treated himself with a glass of brandy. Enough to calm him down and ease his temper.

The guys were waiting for him after all. And he definitely did not want to barge into the manor in a bad mood.   

Quatre Raberba Winner looked up from the notes he had been reading as someone's arms circled and encased him in a warm comforting hug. With a sweet smile on his cherubic face, he looked up meeting a single forest green eye with a blue gaze of his own.

" Don't strain your eyes too much little one.", came the soft murmur.

The little blonde wrinkled his nose and protested, " Trowa Barton! What did I tell you about babying me again?"

" Hn."

This won a pout out of the engaging blonde who playfully swatted at the arm hugging him, " Leggo Trowa!" and he soon found himself being tickled to death by his seemingly blank-faced partner.

" Do that later you guys!", moaned an irritated voice from across them. Laughing blue eyes and slightly amused green orbs looked at the tall lean young man that squatted on the carpet.

" You are interrupting my meditation.", he grumbled with a flick of his long coal black ponytail. Slanting onyx eyes that belied his Asian heritage slid a scolding look over the amused couple who, much to his irritation and embarrassment, proceeded to kiss each other tenderly as if he wasn't there.

" Injustice!", he swore to himself, immediately winning a giggle from the  bubbly Quatre, and a smirk from the usually stoic Trowa.

" I don't understand why you two can't just go in your room and do whatever it is you do and leave me here in peace!", complained the dark-haired young man.

" Wufei, you do remember that this happens to be OUR living room? Yours, mine, Trowa's , Hee- ", Quatre admonished before being interrupted quite rudely.

" Okay, Okay! Winner I get the point!", growled their irate friend.

Trowa blinked the one green eye revealed by his strangely styled brown hair and said, "Sometimes I think you need a life Chang Wufei."

" Or a date!", piped in Quatre thus causing Wufei to go red in the face.

" I will not date some stupid onna!", he fumed.

" Hmm…so you swing the other way then…", was Quatre's suggestive retort that left their  red-faced Chinese friend stuttering.

Before Wufei could land a biting remark of his own, the door to the living room opened and closed with a slam and the three bickering friends looked up to watch the one other member of their group drop himself onto the velvet couch.

" What did Odin want Heero?", inquired Quatre tentatively. He knew their friend well enough to know that something was upsetting him. And nothing ever upset Heero Yuy. Ever.

" A bodyguard. For me.", came the cold reply before silence fell again.

" It seems to be a wise decision Yuy.", remarked Wufie coolly even as he reverted back to his meditative mien. He was obviously still paying enough attention to what was happening.

" Someone is trying to kill you after all.", was Trowa's quiet comment.

Staring at nothing in particular, Heero shrugged at his companions' remarks and grunted.

" The badyguard… will be a bother."

Wufie rolled his eyes, " We know Yuy. You're not the only one with tails behind you.", he pointed out.

Heero shrugged yet again but accepted his words. All of them were wealthy and influential in their own right. Something that proved to be a bother more so than not. 

Quatre, with his golden hair and delicate appearance was the youngest and only son of a middle eastern prince, and the heir to what was probably the richest oil wells in the world despite the fact of his having twenty-seven older sisters. The sisters being the root of the nineteen-year-old blonde's gentle, almost ladylike persona.

Trowa Barton, with his penchant for strange one-sided hairstyles and seemingly detached air, was the world famous pianist, Catherine Barton's brother. The siblings lived off on their trust funds after their parents had died five years ago in a boating accident, and although Catherine was earning millions, Trowa could well provide for himself being one of the most sought after artists in the city. His relationship with the Winner heir was no secret, and despite a few protests and disapproving opinions, the quiet twenty-year-old artist could never be found without his younger blonde boyfriend.  

Chang Wufei on the other hand came from a family of powerful Chinese businessmen and was expected to inherit more than a few businesses in the future. Older than Heero and Trowa by a few months, the dark-haired, dark-eyed Asian was also a scholar of sorts and despite his young age, acted as consultant to various intellectual figures. 

All four of them had met within the four walls of Xaniger University during their first few years and had stayed together since then. And however much Heero and even Wufei would deny it, they four were friends.

" So!", piped a cheerful Quatre in an effort to break Heero's dark mood, " When's the bodyguard coming? Where's he going to stay?", was his gentle inquiry.

Cold prussian eyes peered out of messy chocolate brown hair and glared at the carpet before the clipped reply, " I do not know."

Then just as suddenly as he arrived, he stood up from the couch and made his way to the door, slipping out with a hard look on his face. 

His three friends watched him go in silence. Heero liked to be left alone most of the time and this was one of those many times. Added to that, he was definitely not pleased with how things were going. He hated it when he didn't get his way, and that was Heero through and through.

Quatre sighed before leaning into his brown-haired lover's warmth.

"Oh boy." 

The back alleys of Xaniger lay dim, hidden corners untouched by daylight and rotten trash laid out haphazardly for anyone unfamiliar with the place to stumble and fall victim to small-time pick pockets or, if they were unlucky enough, insane men who hungered for a casual kill. The dangerous feel of the area however, remained ignored; disregarded by a slight figure in midnight black, the leather coat hiding the wearer even as its ends flapped gracefully, catching the soft breeze and revealing a braid of thigh-length chestnut hair.

Stopping right beside a rusted iron door that had seen better days, the figure raised a hand and rapped lightly on the orange-red metal. The soft sound echoed through the passage until a short moment later, the door opened to reveal a wizened old woman in casual jeans and shirt, puffing smoke out of a half-finished cigar.

"Tsch! What now?!", she hissed at the dark visitor to reveal yellowed teeth half rotten by too much nicotine.

"'ello Meggie!", was the cheerful response that led the old woman's jaw's to drop.

"Duo Maxwell ya bastard!!! Didn't G teach ya to knock the secret knock!!!", she almost shrieked, " Ya had me on m'toes!" 

Violet eyes crinkled merrily above a smirking rose-bud mouth, " Oops. Guess it slipped my mind! Ha! So…lemme in?", he purred at the red-faced hag in front of him.

With a roll of her beady eyes, the woman motioned for him to step inside, " Git! G's been waitin'.", she murmured and waved a hand into a dilapidated hallway.

Dark boots made no sound on the dusty floor as Duo made his way inside. Stopping in front of a filthy glass door, he turned the knob and stepped inside to face his clearly pissed off superior.

'G', as everyone called him, scowled the moment he glimpsed his visitor.

" You have a LOT of explaining to do.", he muttered coldly even as his heated dark eyes bored into the slight person in front of him.

" Aw! C'mon old man! I got him didn't I?!", came a rather annoying whine as Duo, with a sharp flick of his braid, perched himself on the stained stool that furnished the sparse office room. He had a good idea what the stains were but chose not to dwell on the thought. It was always better that way.

" You got HIM alright. And more than half of the women HE had in his grasp! You nitwit!"

Violet eyes usually bright with good temper went blank and the cheery look shrank out of the young man as he coolly informed G," I have my reasons old man. Leave it at that."

G blinked his eyes at the change. Despite the fact that the "boy" had been under his supervision for the last six years, Duo's mood swings were still something he had not gotten used to. The boy was a complete mystery to him. The scowl leaving his lined face, G settled tiredly on his worn chair, dark eyes now calm and collected as he clapped eyes on Duo Maxwell, one of his finest subordinates.

" I believe you need a bit of time-off boy.", G murmured expectantly.

Eyes widened in shock as Duo jumped off his stool, " WHAT??? What the hell do I need a vacation for???", was his furious yell as he glared at his superior, " I finished the assignment, piece of shit that it was…so what the FUCK did I do wrong???"

A stern look from G silenced him and he immediately looked contrite.

" Watch the language boy…", came the terse set-down, " Your last assignment was too messy. It's not easy cleaning up after thirty-two bodies you know."

A thundercloud hung over the red-faced youth's head as he proceeded to fully give G a death glare.

" So I talked to the Lightning Count and we decided to give you some light _guard_ duty instead. Might take your mind off things.",

" YOU WHAAAT??? Goddamnit! I will not baby-sit some fucking rich spaz! No way in hell!"

At that rude statement, G finally lost his patience and roared at his now bad-tempered companion, " YOU WILL TAKE TIME OFF OR I WILL KICK YOU OUT OF THE ORGANIZATION!"

Color ebbed from Duo Maxwell's face as he looked at G with glazed eyes, " You're not serious!"

"I am."

A tense silence followed and G sat back again on his chair to eye the pale the young man.

 A quiet voice ventured to ask, finally breaking the silence, " So who needs the services of yours truly?"

G sighed inwardly in relief. Thanking his lucky stars, he replied with a grin, " Heero Yuy."

Duo's jaw dropped. " NO SHIT!"

(A week later)

For what was perhaps the fiftieth time, Duo Maxwell resisted the urge to bang his head on the glass window of the taxi he rode and instead settled on blowing his bangs out of his line of vision. A soft purr from his side caused the braided young man to look down and settle his gaze on a ball of soft black fur curled beside him.

" I know Shini! This sucks! This guy doesn't even NEED protection!", he mumbled to himself as he unconsciously rapped his wrist.

Slanting feline eyes of a dark purple shade almost like his own opened sleepily. 

Moew!

Grunting, Duo shuffled through the file folder he held all the while talking to himself with definite annoyance, " Lookie this! Raised by an ex-Yakuza member, Hobbies – programming, ballistics, martial arts, b-ball- and he happens to be the best goddamn hacker in the solar system to boot…4 freakin' years in the military and In special ops too mind you!… Connections from top to deep shit …This guy's a freakin' perfect soldier for christsakes!", he hissed before stuffing the worn folder into a dark duffel bag.

" I fuckin' hate guard duty!", came a frustrated growl.

Meow!

Raising a hand, Duo absentmindedly started to scratch the stretching ball of fur, " You're lucky Shini! All you do is sleep, eat and get laid! Now that's what I call paradise!"

His pet, Shinigami, cast him a baleful look as if to say, _my life kinda sucks too ya know! _And proceeded to lick her black shiny coat clean, long ebony tail flicking back on forth as she purred with pleasure at his master's gentle scratching.

Duo remained sulkily staring ahead before he felt the taxi stop.

" Ere's de place kid! Vewy nice yah?", the driver said cheerfully in his thickly accented voice.

Opening the side door, Duo stepped out to cast an eye over his soon-to-be-client's residence. He gaped.

Ridge Manor – as it was called – was a large, elegant Victorian house that glowed a pristine white color under a moon gray tiled roof.  It stood on top of a small hill surrounded by high brick walls, which, under Duo's expert eye, were protected by high-voltage security precautions. This guy was dangerous and he clearly meant business. No wonder no one ever took him on – until recently. The braided man winced, reminded yet again that protection from a measly bodyguard was the last thing HEERO YUY needed. NOT that HE was measly…Heck! He wasn't called the 'GOD OF DEATH' for nothing!

Paying the waiting driver, he slung his bag over his shoulder and cast a fleeting look at Shinigami who had jumped out of the taxi and was now brushing over his ankles affectionately.

Throwing back his head, Duo laid his curious stare on black iron gates blocking his entrance and grinned.

" Well, a mansion ain't too bad for some time off, eh Shini?"

Meow!       

Stepping inside the dim-lit study, Wufei blinked a few times, his eyes adjusting to the lack of light. Soft tapping sounds from the left corner of the organized, well-furnished room revealed a grim-faced Heero working at what was probably another upgrade for one of the programs.

" Yuy, where's Winner?", he called out at the busy Japanese.

"Out."

"What about Barton?"

"With Winner."

Wufie sighed with furrowed eyebrows. " KISAMA! Today of all times! I need the NATAKU INC. Study back!"

"Hn."

Suddenly, the tapping noises halted and a scowl replaced Heero's expressionless face. " Someone is at the door."

"You mean at the gate.", pointed out the snobby Chinese.

"No. At the door. The heat sensors are blaring.", came the deadpan correction as the tapping of keys resumed.

"Go get it then.", said Wufei in a biting tone.

" Can't. Busy."

Rolling his dark eyes, a reluctant Wufei made a beeline for the study door to meet who ever it is who was bothering their peace and quiet.

" You are such an ass Yuy."

Shutting the door with a resounding slam and not even alarmed at the sight of one Ming vase shaking on an ivory post at the strong movement, he stalked through the lush dim hallway and wrenched the large ornate door open.

" What do….", Wufei stuttered before staring dead center at the caller, the words on his lips lost and forgotten.

A short black clad figure looked up to his towering six-foot height and a pair of huge violet eyes sparkled as they clapped sight on him. " Hey there! Man you got one helluva place here! You know it took me thirty whole freakin' minutes to reach this door? Geez! By the way, I'm Duo Maxwell from Marquise Securities. At your service!", came the cheerful messy introduction before the person in question did a rather exaggerated bow.

Wufie's eyes nearly shot up sky high as a thick long braid whipped about at that movement. Realizing that he was being quite rude, he stiffened before saying coolly, " Excuse me? YOU are the bodyguard?", and proceeded to look critically at the slight figure in black. The Agency must have made a mistake. Odin Lowe must have made a mistake. This…This BOY was protecting Heero??? Wufei smirked.

Duo Maxwell met his look with a cheeky smirk that caught him off-guard. Boy or not, Duo Maxwell had looks that could charm the pants out of anyone!

" Yup! Me! Heero Yuy's gonna have wonderful adorable me!"

With an exasperated snort, Wufei opened the door wider and motioned him inside. Stepping into the elegant hallway, Duo looked around in awe. He was clearly not used to the lavish luxury surrounding him. With a wary eye, Wufei observed him as he bounced lightly over to a rather expensive painting on the wall. A smooth sound from outside caused the young Chinese to turn and watch as a navy blue convertible halted on the driveway and his two other missing housemates stepped out.

Quatre took one look at his unsettled expression and was about to ask when the braided bodyguard bounced right outside and piped, " Hey there! That car's fucking cool man…must've cost you something.", he remarked as he cast the convertible an admiring once-over, "Oh! Duo Maxwell by the way, Bodyguard extraordinaire.", he added as Quatre looked at him in astonishment. Trowa stood as still as a board, his bang covering most of his face. Only a slight quirk of one elegant brow belied his surprise.

" Uh…Hello. I'm Quatre, Quatre Winner.", the small blonde ventured politely as he returned Duo's grin with a friendly smile, " Oh and this is…"

"Oh I know you all already", the bouncy bodyguard interrupted before winking saucily at the surprised blonde, "Comes with the job you know. Can't disappoint my clients eh?"

"Mr. Maxwell, how old are you?", Trowa suddenly inquired from out nowhere, not really surprising both his lover and Wufie. The two had been basically pondering on the same thing. A BOY was going to watch the infamous Heero Yuy???

" Ah! Thought you'd wonder 'bout that, and it's DUO by the way. Hate that formal crap kinda thing! No sweat,", Duo boomed loudly, " I'm eighteen but good at my job. Hey wait! Not good…I'm DAMN GOOD."

The newly arrived couple piled into the house still casting wondering glances at the clearly hyperactive young man, watching as he followed a stiff-faced Wufei.

" How do think Heero's going to handle this?", whispered Quatre at his stoic partner.

Trowa shrugged and let out a vague grunt. He was never one to talk.

Rolling baby blue eyes, the blonde turned to look at the two people ahead of them and barely contained a giggle as he heard their visitor clearly call Wufei "Wufwuf!". The Chinese visibly tensed and threw a murderous look at the still gabbing Duo. 

Quatre Winner secretly smiled to himself. Life in the manor wasn't going to be so boring after all.

Heero Yuy hated three things in particular.

Noise.

Mess.

Getting caught off guard.

And he was definitely caught off guard.

Added to that, the bouncing ball of energy that had barged into his study was making a racket… ONE HELL OF A RACKET.

"Duo Maxwell reporting for duty umm… Sir/colonel/lieutenant/General or whatever you are!", came the loud greeting before a sharp whistle followed, " Wow! Nice place."

Swiveling his chair around from his haven of upgraded programs and handy laptops, Heero proceeded to glare fiercely at his unwelcome guest, prussian blue eyes snapping dangerously only to land on what looked to be a skinny pale boy perched languidly on his large table with a huge duffel bag on his lap. The young anti-social multimillionaire found himself facing a delicate fine-boned face dominated by huge violet eyes, while a pair of glittering silver cross earrings hung from shell-like ears. Peering from the boy's hip was a long braid of chestnut locks. THIS was his bodyguard???

"Unacceptable.", Heero growled.

His BODYGUARD threw him a slightly confused look, " What?"

"Unacceptable. You will not be my bodyguard."

One smooth brow quirked up curiously, " Oh? Why not?"

"Hn."

"Aw! C'mon! spill it."

"Hn."

Making a clicking noise with his tongue, Duo flicked back his braid and said with nonchalance, " Oh man of many words! Spill I say!"

"K'so! Shut up…BOY."

An enraged look overtook the bodyguard's face and he met a cold blue glare with a threatening one of his own, " DO- NOT-CALL-ME- BOY!!!", he roared much to Heero's surprise although he kept that emotion to himself. 

" I may be like what? Two years younger than you? But I'm the best at my job and the hell I'm not completing this assignment. I will be your fucking bodyguard whether you like it or not you jerkass ogre!"

A guffaw of laughter from the other side of the study door caused Heero to scowl even more. Clearly, his FRIENDS where having the time of their life listening to the argument he was having with this…this illogical braided baka in front of him.

" No.", was his clipped reply at Duo's outburst.

"Yes.", was the retort.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Ye…"

MEOW!

Heero froze and stared as a small furry head popped out of the large bag on Duo Maxwell's lap. Dark sensitive ears shook slightly and a pair of purple slits opened as the black feline yawned.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Meet my Shinigami…or Shini for short! She goes EVERYWHERE with me!", declared its rather proud owner as he seemingly forgot in a flash the argument that had been going on.

" WHAT…IS…THAT?", barked a now furious Heero.

"Duh… It's a cat you silly man.", was the off-hand reply.

" NO! "

"What? It's not a cat?", Duo asked bewildered.

Clenching his fist, Heero let out a frustrated sigh," NO. YOU-WILL-NOT-BE-MY-BODYGUARD!"

" Yes I will, and before you lose it o great soldier mine, I'm going to my room then check things around this wonderful hellhole!", the young man declared as he jumped off the table, his braid bouncing after him.

Heero watched incredulously as the man ignored him altogether.

He was pissed.

Really pissed.

Moving swiftly, he grabbed his proclaimed bodyguard by the shoulders noticing for the first time how small the young man was compared to his own frame of five foot and eleven inches and murmured dangerously, " No. You will go. Stay and I won't pay you."

Duo's hands curled over his death grip with surprising strength, and huge eyes winked at Heero taking him by surprise, " Yes. I will stay. Don't need the money so you can just lock your check book in your safe and throw away the key. I'm stayin' man!"

Meow!

And with that he walked out of the study, whistling out of tune as he did so and closed the door quietly behind him. From the other side, Heero could hear Quatre's muffled remarks laced with humor, and Wufei roaring in indignation about an 'Onna neko'. He had clearly spotted Maxwell's cat.

Heero stared at the door.

And stared.

Then stared some more… before an infuriated look came over his impassive face. Turning back to his laptop, he sat on his wheeled chair and started to mutter under his breath.

"BAKA."   

"Well… he's not so bad Heero."

Quatre cringed as his friend cast him a death glare. Heero was leaning by the fireplace in the living room and had been deep in thought with a grim scowl pasted on his face. No one needed to guess just what was upsetting the young Japanese.

Three days had found his ever-cheerful-and-energetic bodyguard poking around in the area. Much to Heero's chagrin, Duo had snatched up a blue print of the manor from god-knows-where, and had proceeded to stick his nose in every nook and cranny since day 1. And so began one mishap after another, starting with the upset in the kitchen after Duo had _accidentally _offended the chef, followed by the sudden appearance of the house's FEMALE servants as they popped out here and there, giggling every time they bumped into the braided visitor – it seemed that the whole maid population that had managed to remain hidden from Heero Yuy's sight for the past five years, had a crush on the charming Duo Maxwell.

Heero's scowl deepened further. Silence was something he treasured above all else. Discipline was a necessary asset, as was an organized household bereft of unneeded distractions. However, the arrival of his bodyguard had assured the ruin of all that desired peace, with the braided baka right in the center of the chaos.

A sudden howl of anger from the west wing snatched Heero out of his thoughts and he proceeded to cross the room and poke his head out of the half-open door to see what the commotion was about.

He found a harried looking Wufei walking towards him, red-faced and breathing heavily as he did so. 

" Where is that good for nothing brat?!", he wheezed, "MAXWELL!!! YOU BETTER NOT LET ME SEE THAT ONNA NEKO OF YOURS OR I SWEAR I'M GOING TO SKIN IT ALIVE AND HANG IT'S HIDE ABOVE MY TROPHY CASE!!!! HOW DARE IT SCRATCH THROUGH MY BRIEFCASE! INJUSTICE!"

" Hmm…I've never seen you this happy before Chang.", murmured an expressionless Trowa who had exited his studio after hearing all the noise their Chinese companion had been making.

Quatre stepped out into the hallway and nodded in agreement. The usually cold Chinese was showing more emotion than they had seen him show for the last few years. Although Wufei had quite a temper, they had never really seen him lose control like he did with Duo and his antics. And IT was refreshing.

Beside the blonde, Heero raised a brow and gave their angered friend a characteristic blank stare, "Hn."

Seeing that he had disturbed his housemates, a slightly embarrassed Wufei resorted to grumbling to himself as he stalked inside their living room. Plopping down on the carpet, he started to meditate, ignoring his three other companions as they piled through the room and sat themselves on their respective territories. Trowa and Quatre on the huge couch, and Heero sitting stiffly on a high-back chair.

Clearing his throat, it was Quatre who broke the silence. " As I was saying…Heero, he's not so bad."

Wufie snorted but did not open his eyes.

"Hn."

"And he won't be staying for long…Odin said it's going to be just a month or so."

Heero glared at nothing in particular, " Too long."

" Well, you'll have to live through it.", remarked Trowa as he absently ruffled his little blonde's hair.

Stealing a look at the two cuddling lovers, Heero sighed inwardly. Though he hated to admit it, he rather envied the two. Never one to balk at same-sex preferences since he himself swung that way, Heero was quite aware of how deep Trowa and Quatre's relationship went. Neither one could live without the other. He scowled, reflecting with characteristic cynicism that such things could only be referred to as weaknesses. Weaknesses he could do without. Heero Yuy was raised to trust no one and feel nothing. To do so could only bring failure, and failure was the last thing he wanted. The thought of emotions brought a pair of sparkling violet eyes into mind. Gritting his teeth, he shook them off furiously, angry with himself for the distraction. No…Duo Maxwell was NOT distracting him… Duo Maxwell angered him like no other. The bodyguard was the epitome of everything he disapproved of, from those blatant eyes, that mane of chestnut hair that defied convention and that cheery bouncy disposition…Duo Maxwell was a mass of raging emotions…and Heero Yuy didn't like it one bit… And even the nagging feeling inside that pestered him into dropping his denial couldn't convince him otherwise.  

As silence settled among the four, a sudden bang of the doors being thrown back broke their reverie and the bundle of energy Heero Yuy considered the bane of his existence for next month or so came waltzing in with a manic grin on his face.

" WOW!!! Your security's one top-rate bastard! I couldn't find one midgety flaw anywhere! Talk about paranoid!"

An amused Trowa exchanged looks with a giggling Quatre, "Midgety? He has quite a creative vocabulary."

Duo babbled on, "You got lasers, heat sensors, traps, oh and you got one sweet weapon supply - I love it! Automatic Lock up systems - that's such a bitch! Gundanium walls, a secret escape…GEEZ! You got everything covered Hee-chan!!!"

At this last word, Heero awarded him with a murderous look that could've killed a lesser human being.

" WHAT – DID – YOU – CALL – ME???", he said coldly through gritted teeth.

Duo flicked his braid back ignoring both the fact that his unemotional employer was looking ready to beat him to death, and that a furious Wufei had barely managed to duck getting hit by his braid.

" hmmm? What? Oh! You mean Hee-chan?"

Three seconds found Duo staring to into the barrel of a Browning M1910.

He gulped, " Eeps!"

"OMAE O KUROSU!!!"

_" Who are you?"_

_"Nobody you know…follow me…", the shadow whispered in the dark as it motioned a hand towards the musty tunnel._

_Violet eyes looked up trustingly albeit a tad hesitant, " Where's my Mum and Dad?"_

_" They'll meet us later…come! Now!", came the desperate call, " Your younger brother's waiting!"_

_The sound of splashing water filled the silence as two pairs of running feet struggled through the tunnel, eyes blinded by the absence of light. Suddenly, light flashed from one of the other tunnels and a hand slid over to cover the child's mouth._

_"Shhh….", the owner of the tall shadow whispered into the boy's ear, " Quiet."_

_And so the two figures crouched in the darkness, still as statues as they listened to the splashing made by running feet._

_Quiet as a mouse, the child peered over to the side, his eyes gaining a view into the lighted tunnel they had stumbled upon. Violet orbs widened as it caught sight of two familiar figures running through the ankle-deep water._

_MUM!!! DAD!!!_

_ Were it not for the hand tightening over his mouth, he would've screamed at them. But instincts the child didn't know he had kicked in. The hair at the back of his neck stood. Danger hung ominously and he was afraid._

_He watched fearfully as his parents ran tiredly through the channel. A few seconds later, more splashing followed, and the boy found himself watching as a group of men appeared right at the heels of his parents. His innocent eyes noted the shiny gray objects they held as they chased the couple, and then horror overtook him as he watched events unfold._

_Sounds painful to the ears followed, the boy associated them to the war movies Solo – his older brother – loved to watch. Unable to tear his eyes away, he watched as his father's figure stopped and fell over face down on the murky water. His mother's screams filled the tunnels immediately after that, and it went on for a good one hour before she was silenced as well with another of those exploding sounds. _

_The whole time, violet eyes peered, taking in the sight of men tearing off his mother's clothes…men on top of her one after another…men hitting her with those shiny gray objects…and he watched as her body slumped over and her wide hazel eyes rolled, pupils empty and bloodshot._

_The boy stared into those eyes…_

_His mother's eyes…_

Duo shot up from his bed, breathing heavily as he wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. His breathing rapid, his eyes darted across the room and stared at his own blurry image on the large Grecian mirror that stood there. He exhaled and covered his face tiredly, annoyed as his head started to pound. 

It had been one of his nightmares…or rather, memories. Memories he had nurtured all his life since that terrible night. That he had had one of them was a sign and it did not please him one bit. His nightmares had come to a halt two months ago and it had been both a relief and an aggravation. For some reason, Duo did not want the nightmares to stop…he wanted to suffer through those nightmares just as everyone he had cared about in his life had suffered…it was his way of being with the dead….his way of dying himself.

With a tired sigh, he turned and settled his gaze on the windows by his side and took in the sight of smooth green grass, and massive trees that hid brick walls. The sky was a foggy blanket of violet, gray and black. Glancing down at his watch, he read 11:00 pm and smirked. How so like him. He should've known he wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully as usual, which was exactly why he never chose to sleep if he could.  For as long as he could remember, he never really slept. His mind always settled at a phase where sleep and awareness met, a neutral ground that fell short of the peaceful darkness he longed for. 

Sounds of tapping keys filtered from the connecting door in the farthest corner of his room and Duo, distracted for a moment from his depressive musings, snorted and then smiled ruefully to himself. His charge was obviously still awake, pounding on his precious laptop yet again as he did every damn night. After four bothersome days in the manor, he still could not understand the mysterious Heero Yuy. Duo, despite his demeanor and strange philosophies, had never lied to anyone and this time he couldn't lie to himself either. And so he reluctantly accepted the fact that he found the young Japanese…interesting?

_No…Intriguing… _he thought with a grin.  He had never met anyone as cold and unfeeling as Heero Yuy. 

Heero with the Yakuza background…Heero the genius…Heero the ruthless millionaire…Heero the soldier…Heero the heartless bastard… Heero the I'm-going-to-kill you-if-you-call-me-Hee-chan-again asshole…  

Duo had seen every damn side of Heero Yuy, every one of which showed no trace of feeling whatsoever…each one cold and blank, much like those Prussian blue eyes were when they looked at you with that death glare Duo had come to recognize. And this drove Duo to the edge. 

Emotions- though his were black as pitch- kept him together… they had kept him from killing himself long ago and had driven him to live on and grab what was due him. To suddenly meet someone who held 'zilch', was a wonder for him.

How many times had he fought off his guilt…his regret?

How many times had he fought off the anger? the need to be in the dark?

How many times had he cared only to fail?

Duo snickered as he sunk into self-loathing. He hated what he was and he hated himself for feeling…To him, Heero Yuy with all that blankness was what he should've been and should be. 

Heero just didn't know that… 

(Peacemilion, Xaniger City – The day after)

"Report."

" He's getting deeper and deeper and it doesn't look good." was the gruff reply of the bearded old man as he faced his superior. His eyes remained hidden by half-closed lids, veiling the fear reflected in them. 

Shrewd eyes the color of the blue sky hardened at the statement. " What do you mean?"

"He's been penetrating our systems and our codes. Our techs have been working to the hilt but Yuy's too good.  If this continues, the underground might lose everything."

"NO!!!", came a pained shriek, " That bastard! Can't you and your underdogs do anything right??? You…You…YOU INCOMPETENT IDIOTS!!! I want him DEAD! NOW!!!"

" But Mistress Relena! His security systems are impregnable, and Marquise securities have their best on him…This is not just any job!", the man protested weakly.

" Are you saying that your precious Romafeller is WEAK??? So weak, you can't even beat one insignificant insect of a security agency???", the owner of those blue eyes looked at him in disgust and turned about-face, gold blonde hair falling half-way down her back and silken skirts billowing about .

"Finish him…", she hissed before casting her subordinate one last icy look.

"You know what will happen Dermail if you don't…"  

A yawn escaped his mouth as Duo gazed out of the limousine window with boredom. Arranging the lapel of his black leather trench coat, he stole a peek at Heero, watching as the stoic young man fiddled away with a laptop. Used to seeing his employer dressed in tight-fitting black spandex shorts, and green tank tops, it had been quite a shock that morning after breakfast when a well-groomed Heero Yuy stepped out of his manor dressed in formal dark slacks and a long sleeved shirt that matched his eyes. 

Duo snickered inwardly. Come to think of it, during his one-week stay in the house he had NEVER seen Heero without the spandex and the tank top. Not that he was complaining. Seven days of watching his charge like a hawk had given him no choice but to notice just how attractive Heero was. Duo, on more than one occasion had noticed those messy brown locks whenever they fell over those prussian eyes hard as granite. His employer's lean but muscled physique wasn't missed either considering that Duo would stumble on him once in a while after the young man would finish working out in his own personal gym. 

Anti-social demeanor aside, Duo had to admit that Heero Yuy was gorgeous. 

Realizing the direction his thoughts were taking, Duo colored slightly and shifted his gaze away from his brown-haired companion.

_Fuck my raging hormones! _ He scolded himself and was determined to keep his gaze from looking at Heero in ways other than that of a professional bodyguard. The God of Death had made it a rule never to venture further than a platonic relationship in his assignments, and although THIS assignment was something he'd never done before, he saw no reason to change what he had promised himself since he joined G's organization. _NOT that I'm a REAL bodyguard! Time-off my ass! Sheesh! I'm getting bored with this easy guard duty!_

A whole thirty minutes swept by in silence making Duo fidget. Never one to keep still and shut up, he addressed the car's other occupant. " Hey! Where we goin'?"

Silence.

Sighing in exasperation he tried again. "Hello!!! Where we going?"

The response was silence even as long fingers swiftly flew over the keyboard.

"Uh…Heero?"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Can you even hear me?"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Hey look! That fucking building's on fire!!!"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

" Gasp! It's Godzilla!!! Run for you life!!!"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Duo's lips pursed into a pout as he glowered at a still inattentive Heero. "Ha Ha Ha. Right! Play fucking deaf you bastard!"

The unbroken sound of tapping keys finally broke through Duo's patience and the braided one smiled like a Cheshire cat.

"Oh Heeeeeee-Chaaaaaan!!!!!!!!"

He immediately found himself pinned by a freezing blue stare. Shrugging the look aside, Duo grinned." So where we goin'?"

" The Ministry of Defense. Now shut up baka!", the key tapping resumed.

"Geez! I was just asking!" sighing, Duo reverted to staring yet again out the car window.

Okay… So maybe guard duty wasn't so easy then. 

NOT when your charge happens to be there's-a-stick-up-my-ass Heero Yuy.

" Heero. Nice to see you.", greeted the slim young woman dressed in a dark green military uniform. Strands of her short dark blue hair fell over thick-lashed eyes as they shifted over to the silent young man impassively.

"Noin. ", he acknowledged. Watching as the woman's attention moved to his companion that stood behind him a few feet away, Heero resisted the urge to growl in frustration. Already the braided baka was attracting unneeded attention and it was the last thing he wanted. He should've just stayed in the manor. Damn his bodyguard!

"Duo Maxwell. My bodyguard.", Heero provided to the curious officer.

Much to Noin's credit, she remained unresponsive to this information and instead motioned him to follow her into the lighted white hallways of the ministry's building. "Follow me."

Much to Heero's surprise, Duo's babbling had stopped as soon as they had stepped inside the government facility. Falling a few steps behind him, Duo was quiet, silently walking through the marble tiled floors his trench coat fluttering after him. Throwing his bodyguard a sideway glance, Heero noted how the slight teenager – for that's what Duo was to him – looked out of place in the facility. Dressed in his habitual black, he stood out amongst the sea of green uniforms and white lab coats.

Mentally shaking himself, Heero turned his attention back to Noin and pushed aside the distracting thought of his bodyguard.

Noin had stopped in front of a small office at the end of the hall and was holding the door open for them. Looking at Heero, she inclined her head doubtfully towards the small dark figure with him. Turning, he was quite surprised to find the violet eyes that had been bothering him so much look dead serious for once.

The two stared at each other for a few precious seconds before Heero turned away to murmur coolly, " He's with me."

Seemingly satisfied, Noin motioned for them to enter and locked the door with her access code.

"Sit. Please.", she invited and the two took their seats as she bid. " Report."

Heero's face remained unreadable as he began without preamble, " three transactions in the last twenty three days. The underground is making their move and fast. It seems Romafeller has been manufacturing weapons secretly. Biological weapons intended to wipe out millions. The Winner informants have reported several attacks on the Middle East oil wells, tons of it missing for the last two months. Asia Minor has raised its inspections having lost more than half of its manufactured nuclear power. Both continents have come up clean. Sanq on the other hand, has remained silent over the whole affair."

Behind him, his young bodyguard blinked. Whether it was due to what he was hearing, or that he had never heard Heero say more than several words before, it remained unclear.

" Hmm…what's the status of my agents?", inquired Noin.

" Undiscovered. Romafeller remains unaware of them."

"This is not good. Treaties have been made over these weapons, what is Romafeller up to then?", the woman officer pondered.

Heero scowled. "We do not know as of now. I leave it to you to decide whether or not to inform Prime Minister Kushrenada. I will keep my eye on the systems since it also appears that Oz has a traitor in its midst; massive smuggling of weapon minerals have been uncovered as well."

"Gundanium.", came a murmur from one of the corner chairs. 

Heero's and Noin's heads shot up simultaneously, both clearly astonished by the fact that the now quiet bodyguard knew what they were talking about.

"How did you know?", Heero growled as he frowned at Duo. The possibility that his bodyguard was a spy occurred to him and he tensed as his hands neared the gun he had concealed under his clothes.

The braided teenager's thin lips twisted into its normal smirk and he rolled his eyes, "You don't have to be jumpy about it!"

"Like I said, ", he continued after leaning casually over to their direction his eyes bright with glee, " Marquise Securities happens to be one goddamn good agency…the best. I just happen to be its best employee."

Noin's eyes widened in surprise, " You work for Zechs Marquise?!", she demanded.

" Oh I've lent him my services…a few times over…", was Duo's cocky reply.

Heero's eyes narrowed, "what does THAT have to do with anything?", he snapped at Noin even as he fixed his angry gaze at a grinning Duo.

"Marquise happens to be one of our informants,", Noin informed him, " If Maxwell – can I call you Maxwell? – if Maxwell's as good as he says he is, I take it Zechs has been giving him some information-gathering jobs." She cast Duo an inquiring look, " Am I right?"

"That's classified… Officer.", was his cold reply. 

Heero watched in quiet surprise at the cold, deadly look that flitted through those violet eyes. However, the freezing stare faded as quickly as it had come, leaving Heero thinking that it was just his eyes playing tricks on him.

" But like I said, " piped Duo as he resumed his usual cheerful self, " Your talking about gundanium. If anybody's gonna build one bitchy killing machine, it's gotta be gundanium. Hard as my head and strong as hell!"

Turning to a scowling Heero, Noin asked, " What do you think they're planning? All the stealing, smuggling…what?"

"War.", muttered the messy haired operative.

Across them and unnoticed, Duo had turned his back to stare at the pristine wall, eyes a dull color as he appeared lost in his thoughts. A whispered word slipped from his lips, the soft sound unheard by the two other occupants.

"Death…"     

The dimly lighted study was still, except for a slight movement of papers on the redwood table. The flames dancing in the fireplace played the shadows on the elegantly furnished walls; a breathtaking background to the dark line of trees and night sky framed by huge glass windows. In the corner, beside the neatly ordered bookshelves, a figure was bent over a white screen, the light reflection of columns of unbroken coded data moving over his face.

Heero Yuy stared at his computer screen, his face scrunched seriously as he struggled over the task of code breaking. He had been hacking into Romafeller systems for a good five hours right after he had come back from the Ministry of defense. He sighed in frustration, banging a fist on his desk. Five hours of hard work that had transformed into five hours of distracted musing.

For the first time in twenty years, Heero found himself seriously distracted. And what angered him the most was not his being distracted. But what or rather WHO was distracting him.

A vision of violet eyes and chestnut hair swum in his mind's eye and he bit out another angry growl. What was wrong with him? What was it about the young eighteen-year-old that troubled his mission-focused mind? He had a mission to finish! He had been given the responsibility to protect his continent in his own way and thinking of a certain attractive braided baka was definitely not part of the mission! 

Heero grinded his teeth as he realized that had actually labeled his bodyguard as attractive. Closing his eyes, he let denial settle over his brewing emotions and held them in check. No…he was not attracted to Duo Maxwell. The only reason Duo bothered him was because the two of them were as different as oil and water. That difference was what was bothering him.

A slight noise over his door alerted him from his musings. Reproaching himself for being inattentive, he swiveled his chair, hand poised over his gun…only to find that the subject of his musings had poked his head into the study.

" Yo Hee-chan! Have you seen Shini anywhere?", Duo asked with the constant smirk on his face.

"Hn. Get out!", Heero growled irritatedly. 

Why he continued to pester him with that annoying nickname he had no idea. Of course, Duo had nicknames for everybody. Heero had heard him calling Quatre - Q or Q-man - much to the blonde's confusion, and Trowa - Tro, a nick that won no other reaction than an amused smirk from the impassive twenty-year old. It was Wufei however who received the brunt of Duo's nickname attacks. From Wu, Wufwuf, Wuffie, Wuffers, Wufamaloo, Wufaling-ding-dong and an assortment of more than a dozen name calling, Heero had found a seething Wufei roaring with righteous indignation in more than one occasion.

Duo Maxwell had definitely turned his household, his life and his friends' lives upside down, much to Heero's chagrin.       

" Hey Heero! Haven't you ever heard of the word REST buddy?", Duo called out yet again, revealing that he had not left the room as commanded.

" Hn."

"Hey Heero! You do know that it's ten o'clock in the evening and time for beddy-bye-bye don'tcha?"

"I said get out! Baka!"

An annoyed snort resonated by the door, " Awright already! Sheesh, sweet nightmares Mr. Grumpy!", he grumbled.

The noise of shuffling feet reverberated, and the sound of the door brushing the floor as it closed was heard.

Heero felt a slight twinge from the recesses of what he thought to be his checked emotions and in sudden impulse, barked sharply, "Did you lie?"

The sounds stopped. Without turning from his screen, Heero could guess that the door stood slightly ajar with Duo's slight figure standing just outside.

" I run, I hide, But I never lie.", came the slightly muffled reply.

Fingers halted over the laptop's keyboard as Heero digested this bit of information.

"Thank you."

Silence. Heero could almost imagine his bodyguard's shock at that statement.

"For what?", Dua demanded curiously from the hallway.

"For not behaving like an idiot during that visit to the ministry."

An offended snort was heard from outside and the sound of the door slammed close filled the usually quiet study. Annoyed muttering could be heard from the other side to reveal that Duo was definitely aggravated by the compliment turned insult awarded him.

Peace settled yet again inside the study, the tapping of keys the only noise piercing the silence. Then just as suddenly as the tapping had resumed, it halted and the figure in front of the screen froze.

Unknown and unseen by anyone that night, Heero Yuy smirked. A single world escaping his lips as he muttered reluctantly,

"Baka."   


End file.
